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round trip travel and lifestyle blog

France

What to Do in Najac, France

“There goes the baker with his tray like always…” I could almost hear Belle singing as I walked through the castle town of Najac; I’m convinced Beauty and the Beast was inspired by this idyllic French village (although there is some debate).  Also one of the most beautiful villages in France, Najac is sure to enchant you with its cobblestone paths and castle views. Here’s how to spend an afternoon in Najac: Sunday market The Sunday sun beat down as we strolled past stall after stall from goat cheese to jewelry.  Swantje, my roommate, and I ventured off while...

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7 Things to Do in Montpellier, France

Over 24,000 steps and five hours of travel time later, I can say I’ve experienced the charming city of Montpellier in the south of France.  Although it was only a day trip, the city’s beauty captivated me in the few hours I visited. And I hope to return very soon! Here are 7 things to do in Montpellier, France: 1. Promenade du Peyrou Easily my favorite site of the day!  Just minutes after hopping off the train, Wendy took me to this darling courtyard.  Even though we couldn’t go inside the pavilion, I enjoyed walking up the steps to enjoy...

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Inside the Life of an Au Pair in Europe

Traveling abroad often costs a pretty penny, but several women found their way around that hurdle.  Becoming an au pair opens a door into another culture, and it includes a paycheck.  (Now we’re talking!) Abano, Italy, made sense for Kasey Ervin after enjoying her family vacation to the country several years before as well as studying Italian at her university.  “The country, the sights, the language and the food are all too perfect,” she said. “I wanted to experience the language firsthand and improve my listening and speaking skills.” Like Ervin, Atti Hauer found her job on aupairworld.com.  After...

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My Weekend in a French Castle

I couldn’t even have dreamed it.  I have big plans for my life: to see the world, to make a difference in my community, to be bilingual.  But never in my wildest dreams did I conceive of spending the night in a castle.  Too far out.  Too expensive.  C’est trop.  Cultural immersion isn’t always easy, but it opens doors to experiencing life abroad on a deeper level.  When you’re in the culture, you meet people and do life with them.  And one of these people happens to have a family castle in Aveyron.  Words can’t describe my excitement when...

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A Weekend in the French Pyrénées

“Let’s get rich and buy our parents homes in the south of France.”  Ingrid Michaelson sure knew what she was talking about in her song “You and I” because the south of France is absolutely stunning.  (But sorry, Mom and Dad, because I’m buying a house for myself in the south of France before I buy one for you…)  Even the views from the seemingly mundane highway were breathtaking with little sneak peeks on the mountains and sheep grazing in the fields.  But I couldn’t have prepared myself for the beauty headed my way from the Pyrénées: The mountains...

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Photo Diary: Toulouse, France

It’s a big city but also a small town.  I’ve never been anywhere like Toulouse: a bustling city with multiple metro lines yet boasts a small town charm.  This city and its culture are incredibly beautiful, and these few snapshots can’t even convey all of its glory. Jardin des Plantes This garden had been recommended to me several times, and I thought, hmm gardens, okay, I guess that’s cool.  I casually decided just to stroll through one day and instantly fell in love with this park-meets-carnival-meets-mini-hike-meets-playground.  It’s the perfect spot to read a book, sip an Orangina or eat...

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Night at the Museums

Three museums in four hours?  And all for free?  Oh yeah, baby!  It hadn’t even been a week of living in Europe, but I hit up La Nuit des Musées (Night at the Museums) with several friends.  On this night hundreds of museums open for free in France and several other countries, and this day only comes once a year.  And I’ve never experienced anything quite like it! Musée des Augustins Step into a world from centuries ago with its medieval, chateau-like architecture.  This museum showcases statues, sculptures and a beautiful courtyard.  Swantje, Caroline and I enjoyed the craft set...

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How to Pack for a Summer in France

It’s only three months, but at the same time, it’s three freakin’ months!  Packing for a summer abroad can be both harder and easier than just a week-long vacation.  What can I buy once I arrive?  What can I not live without for three months?  Will I even know where to buy nail polish remover once I get there?  The most important thing is to start early so you have time to make several trips to the store and figure out what can stay and what can go.  I’m living in France this summer and want to share how...

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A Brief Guide to PARIS

After spending several days in Paris, I absolutely fell in the love with the city, the atmosphere, the culture, and the language.  However, in a huge city with millions of people, it can be quite overwhelming to visit.  Here is one of the most concise guides to Paris you’ll find: Food & Drink On my detour to Versailles, I jumped out of my comfort zone and tried some escargots.  My eyes betrayed me; their bizarre green appearance scared me a bit, but I actually enjoyed them.  I even tried them again while in Paris the next day!  Also while...

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About

Hi, I'm Kristin. I'm a content creator teaching English in southern France. I'm all about exploring new places, practicing my French and sharing blogging tips. Allez-viens!
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Why is being present so hard?!🙈Double tap if yo Why is being present so hard?!🙈Double tap if you agree!

It's so easy for me to get stuck in the past or focused on the future — so much so that I made this quote my lock screen for a looooong time. It's funny how forgetful we are as humans: We long for the future, but once we're there, we crave the past.

🌍I love how travel reminds me to be present. When you've saved up, planned and dreamed about a trip for so long, OF COURSE you want to savor each moment. But it's a great lesson for our everyday life, too.

❓How do you keep yourself in the present? I like keeping a gratitude journal. Tell me in the comments!

 #blogginglife #dametravel #dametraveler #blogger #girlswhotravel #travelquotes #quotes #inspirational #bloggerunder5k #bloggerlifestyle #bloggersofinstagram #bloggervibes #bloggersgetsocial #travelblogger #instablog #microinfluencer #microinfluencers #quotable #eze #ezefr #tapif #assistantdelangue #tapifusa
Not to be dramatic or anything, but those nine day Not to be dramatic or anything, but those nine days truly changed my life😍 About 7 years ago, I was taking AP European History and heard about a summer trip to Europe with my high school. London, Paris, Florence and Rome.

Yep, we were that group of students walking around Europe with our lanyards and headsets. I got those jitters when I saw Europe in its glory for the first time. And I still do.

If you would’ve told me then that I’d move to France during a global pandemic, I’d tell you you’re complètement fou.

But here’s the thing: that trip with @EFtours stirred something inside of me, and it has yet to settle. It was a longing to see and experience the world with my own two eyes. And it inspired me to start my travel blog, to continue with my French studies, to study abroad and to move to France.

This ain't sponsored (but I sure wish it were!), and I mean with my whole heart those few days in high school set me onto this path. And for that, I am beyond grateful.

🤔What about you? Can you point to a specific moment or experience that set you on the path you're on today, all these years later? Tell me about it⬇️

@ef #eftours #efabroad #educationfirst #inspo #inspiring #efgapyear #efexplorer #completementfou #expatlife #whereicamefrom #expat #expatdiary #microinfluencer #microinfluencers #bloggersunder5k #bloggersunder2k #bloggersunder10k #francophile
One thing you rarely hear about life abroad: so mu One thing you rarely hear about life abroad: so much dang paperwork and many complicated processes🙈

💰I have several bank accounts in the U.S. and France. I'm paid in euros, but I still have recurring subscriptions on my American credit card. I'm also all about growing my savings and getting those credit card points on my American account.

What👏to👏do?👏

❌I tried sending money directly from my French bank account to my American credit card bill. It worked, but there was bigger fee. And it was only to pay off charges, not grow savings.

✅But then a friend introduced me to @TransferWise and now I am set! I can easily transfer between my different checking accounts for the lowest rates I ever did see. Plus,  I'm still able to grow my savings and investment accounts in America.

❓OK but what is it?! @TransferWise is a third-party site that transfers money between accounts from all over the world. They price compare their rates with other companies. Their site is super easy to use and explains the whole process. And the rates were crazy low and not as high as the transfer I made directly through my banks.

🔗Bop over to link in bio for the link to get a free account and the other 5 things every expat needs.

#expat #expatlife #americanabroad #americansabroad #assistantsdelangue #eslteacher #teflteacher #tefl #esl #englishteacher #americaninfrance #americansinfrance #bloggersunder5k #bloggersunder2k #bloggersunder1k #microinfluencer #wanderlust #tapif #tapifusa @tapifusa @assistantsdelangue #albi #albifrance #france
Have you ever had one of those “it’s a small w Have you ever had one of those “it’s a small world” moments?🌏

☀️Back in 2017, I spent a summer in Toulouse. One weekend, my friends and I went on a road trip to a slew of villages in southwestern France. They were truly some of the best days of my life: we stayed in my friend’s castle🏰(casual), we swam in the river + sunbathed, we drank wine + played games, we explored idyllic villages.

One of my favorite spots with the sweetest of nostalgic memories was in a small village called Laguépie. Population: ~600. Whenever people asked me my favorite place in France, nobody ever knew where I was talking about. It wasn’t in the magazines or travel blogs. (Ahem, it’s on mine!)

➡️Fast forward to 2020. I’m preparing to leave for France and am keeping a close eye on my teaching program’s Facebook page. An American girl posted in the group about her time in Marseille, and we began messaging. She helped me with a million and one things during my move to France, and we’ve stayed in touch and become good friends.

Earlier this month, I visited Albi to see her along with her French boyfriend, who’s from a small village. He never told me the name, but as we were sipping wine and eating saucissons, he said something about Laguépie.

“WHAT?! Did you say Laguépie? I’ve been there and fell in L O V E!” He said, no, we can’t be talking about the same place, no one ever goes to my hometown😂 But after showing him my photos, including ones the village’s castle @chateau_louvielcastel reposted, it was one and the same.

Can someone queue “Invisible String” because what a small world this is that we’re all connected. Do you have any wild stories like that? Tell me in the comments⬇️

#laguepie #laguépie #viaur #franceprofonde #lafranceprofonde #microinfluencer #tarn #garonne #occitanie #frenchvillage #vivelafrance #stmartinlaguepie #bloggersunder5k #bloggersunder2k #bloggersunder1k #bloggersunder10k #itsasmallworld #smallworld #jaimelafrance #patrimoine @occitanietourisme
What do you like searching for on Pinterest?📌 What do you like searching for on Pinterest?📌

✈️I love finding travel destinations + itineraries, easy recipes and decorating ideas. My guess is that you've found some blogs and ideas you love through this site. 

😍I'm even more obsessed with how @pinterest serves to grow my blog and brand.

Currently kicking myself for not getting on the Pinterest for Business train sooner because this site is truly a game changer. I went from a personal account with a wedding board and gluten-free board with recipes I’d never tried to a bustling business board with more than 400,000 monthly visitors. And most of that is not from advertising.

📈I took a free @jennakutcher webinar on how to use Pinterest for Business and saw massive growth. And the best part? You can schedule out content for an entire week in just 30 minutes to an hour. 

⏩Pinterest is my top driver of traffic, and if you want to upgrade your blog like a pro, this is where you need to invest your time, hands down.

Want to learn how you can use Pinterest to grow your blog, brand or biz? Head over to link in bio for my best blogging tips💯

#bloggergirl #blogginglife #blog #blogger #girlswhotravel #bloggingtips #bloggingadvice #getrich #sidehustle #sidegig #monetize #monetizeyourblog #bloggerunder5k #bloggerlifestyle #bloggersofinstagram #bloggervibes #bloggersgetsocial #travelblogger #instablog #monetizeyourbrand #monetizeyourpassion #cassis #france #cassisfr
Best day trips from Nice No. 4: Èze🏰 This med Best day trips from Nice No. 4: Èze🏰

This medieval village enchanted me so much so I almost teared up as we left because I just didn’t want to go. If there are castles, sea views and charm, I’m so there. And Èze checks all these boxes✅ 

😍This medieval village is a labyrinth of cobblestone and windy paths, but the steps are worth it. There are shops and restaurants along the way to the top where you get sweeping views of the Mediterranean Sea. 

🌵Once you make it to the top, you have to pay to enter the Jardin Exotique d’Èze, and I can't recommend it enough. (Be sure to ask about the combo deal that includes both the garden in Èze and the Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild nearby.)

🚗🛤️Distance from Nice: 30-minute drive or 15 minute train ride

Craving more photos + day trip ideas from Nice? Head over to link in bio ❤️

#nicefrance #nicefr #nice #southernfrance #eze #èze #ezefr #ezefrance #ezevillage #medievalvillage #seaside #seasidedining #seasidelunch #mediterraneansea #mediterranean #oceanviews #microinfluencer #tapif #tapifusa #assistantsdelangue #assistantdelangue #tefl #esl #eslteacher #teflteacher #teachabroad #teachabroadfrance #jardinexotique #microinfluencer
How's your sense of direction?↪️🗺️I am th How's your sense of direction?↪️🗺️I am the queen of getting lost — and not on purpose😂

When I lived in Toulouse in 2017, I took a day trip to a nearby town to visit a friend. Wanting to get the best deal, I booked the 6 a.m. train. Unfortunately, I didn't think it all the way through🙃

I left my apartment on time, but when I got to the metro, it hadn't started running yet. I was nervous about getting to the train station on time, but if I hurried, I could make it.

Alas, I made it to the metro stop where I was supposed to switch metro lines. I had one job, and I failed🙈

⚠️I went the wrong direction, and once I realized it, I quickly got off the next stop and ran up to the street. I was unbelievably lost, and the sun hadn't even come up. Eventually, I made it to the train station but had completely missed the train.

And defeated, I sat down in the bakery, cried and FaceTimed my mom. Some kind French girl saw my tears and approached me to help me book a new train.

Since then, I've gotten lost many more times😆 But it's taught me to not be so hard on myself because getting lost is part of the journey. (And if it's not a good time, it's a good story, eh?😜)

 #blogginglife #dametravel #dametraveler #blogger #girlswhotravel #travelquotes #quotes #inspirational #bloggerunder5k #bloggerlifestyle #bloggersofinstagram #bloggervibes #bloggersgetsocial #travelblogger #instablog #microinfluencer #microinfluencers #quotable #eze #ezefr #tapif #assistantdelangue #tapifusa
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